Police: Girl almost lured by Tennessee man who had child pornography

School counselor gets tip indicating girl planned to run away

A 25-year-old Tennessee man who posed as a 12-year-old boy and possessed child pornography tried to lure an Anne Arundel County girl from her home, county police said in a statement released Friday.

Anne Arundel County police said a middle school counselor received an anonymous tip last Thursday that a 12-year-old girl planned to run away Friday in a stolen vehicle to Tennessee. The tip indicated that the girl had planned to meet her "boyfriend" before school Friday and go to his home in Tennessee.

In coordination with school administrators and the school resource officer, authorities contacted the girl's guardian and asked to speak with the girl.

Police said officers obtained the girl's social media account and cellphone data, which indicated communication between the girl and a man in Tennessee.

The school resource officer surmised at that time that the man misrepresented his age, and the officer suspected the man to be in his 20s, police said.

County police investigators contacted the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and later the same day, Tennessee officials made contact with a 25-year-old man. Anne Arundel County police said Tennessee investigators confirmed the man had been communicating with the 12-year-old Maryland girl.

During the investigation, county police said Tennessee officials found child pornography pictures.

The county offered the girl and her family psychological crisis counseling.